What it Means
by KT Maiden
Summary: Green rider A'den has just graduated from his Weyrling training, and he's excited to join a fighting wing. However, he's starting to realize that some aspects of his life at the Weyr are more complex than he'd thought.
1. Remembrance and an Errand

Well, it's been a long time since I posted anything. I started writing this story over the summer, but I wasn't going to post it until I'd finished it. However, since there is a horrible lack of male green rider stories here, I felt that I had to contribute what I have so far, and if it's any good, I'll continue. So, let me know!

**Chapter 1 – Remembrance and an Errand**

Aiden stood amid the chaos of the Hatching Ground. Everywhere he looked, newly hatched dragons were stumbling around, trying to find their riders. The young Candidates tried their hardest to attract the dragonets, attempting to make Impression. He could hear the crowd of Holders and Craftsmen cheering on those who came from their own Holds and Halls.

This was a good clutch. Not one of Ramoth's, but one of Benden's junior queens. Not all of the eggs had hatched yet, but a large number of bronzes had already appeared, and there was a queen egg waiting off to the side, surrounded by a group of girls. Maybe one of the few eggs left would have a bronze or a brown in it for him, though he really didn't care what color dragon he got, if he got one.

Aiden couldn't figure out why the Weyr riders had Searched him. He was shy and rather submissive, always being bullied by the older boys at the Beastcrafthall, though he was already seventeen Turns old. Even now, when he knew how important it was to be assertive, he couldn't quite bring himself to move more than a couple steps from where he stood at the edge of the group of Candidates. The dragonets would ignore him if they thought he wasn't a strong personality, and he was running out of time and chances. What had been a large clutch of thirty-five eggs had rapidly dwindled to about five or six. He counted eight other Candidates left, waiting for their chance to Impress.

He was momentarily distracted by the rocking of the queen egg. He watched, forgetting about the rest of the clutch, as the little queen burst from her shell and nearly ran her choice over with enthusiasm. A small smile tugged at his lips as he watched the Impression occur.

Turning his attention back to the other eggs, he realized that he'd missed two of them hatching. Angry with himself, he forced his legs to move forward. He didn't think he'd manage an Impression, but by the first shell, he had to try! He wouldn't be able to live with the lost chance if he didn't.

The egg nearest him, though he was still quite a few paces away, cracked open, and an awkward green dragonet spilled out onto the sand. The last girl remaining on the Hatching Ground gave a cry of happiness as she rushed forward, arms outstretched. The other eggs began to crack as well, and the other boys, who were much closer to them than Aiden was, left the green to the girl and formed a circle around the new hatchlings. One of them was a bronze. Aiden sighed and stopped his forward march.

The green, her attention attracted by the girl's sudden rush at her, began crying piteously. The girl dropped to her knees to comfort the little dragonet, but the green swing her head around, as if searching for something.

"Hey, hey! Don't cry! I'm Liona, Liona! Don't you hear me? What's your name?" the girl was speaking out loud to the dragonet when she should have been conversing mentally with her. Aiden turned back to look at the pair. Had Impression not been made? As he turned, the dragonet's wedge-shaped head swung around to face him. She was there!

She was happy! She loved him! Why was he so far away from her, when they should be close together, as rider and dragon? She stumbled away from the girl who made strange sounds at her.

Aiden closed the gap between himself and the green, _his_ lovely, beautiful, darling dragon! How could he ever have thought she'd choose that silly girl over him, when they were so perfect for each other? He fondled her head and neck as she butted against his legs, a light crooning noise emitting from her throat. He laughed and scratched her eye ridges.

_I'm hungry,_ she said plaintively in his head.

_I know, darling,_ he replied.

She raised her head so their eyes met again, and Aiden was hit with another wave of affection.

_My name is Printeth._

He knew her and she knew him. They were together!

~0~

Shira sat beside him at the table in the kitchen. The young green rider, as usual, didn't wait a moment before opening her mouth.

"What are you thinking about, A'den? You're dragonlengths away from here, and your klah is cold!"

A'den looked at his friend with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Shira. Liona was chewing me out about keeping my weyr clean this morning, so I started thinking about our Impression to make myself feel better."

Shira grinned. "Liona is going to have to get over it sooner or later, you know. It's been three Turns now, and she's failed to Impress at every Hatching she's been presented at! It's not your fault she didn't get Printeth."

"I know," said A'den, taking a sip of his klah. He grimaced. It _was_ cold.

"Do you know which wing you're being assigned to yet?" Shira asked, switching gears quickly.

"No. But then, we were just released from the Weyrlings' Barracks this week, and most of the wings are full of more experienced riders. They don't really need new dragons just now."

_We will fight Thread eventually, _Printeth said, picking up on her rider's impatience.

A'den chuckled and relayed Printeth's comment to Shira. She laughed along with him at their mutual irritation at still being useless to their weyr. Benden Weyr, once the lone Weyr protecting Pern from the threat of Thread with only about two hundred dragons, now boasted so many beasts that the graduated Weyrlings often had to continue with their Weyrling duties for some time before they were assigned to real duties within a fighting wing. Many complained bitterly about the situation, but A'den tried to keep his feelings quiet. He didn't want to bring anyone's wrath down on himself, and honestly, the longer he could keep Printeth's beautiful green hide free of Threadscore, the better in his opinion.

Brown rider T'thir came into sight of their table, and Shira's smile instantly grew. A'den sighed quietly. His friend was becoming something of a flirt around the riders, especially the older ones.

"Isn't he a bit old for you?" He asked.

Shira glared at him. "He's handsome. Plus he said Rinalth hasn't gone after a green in while, so when Myorth rises…"

A'den swallowed against the sudden lump in his throat. "Look, just because _you_ want Rinalth to fly your green, doesn't mean it will happen."

"But having a preference for a rider can help tip the scales a bit!"

"Aren't you giving poor Myorth some mixed signals, then? I saw you making eyes at Harenth's rider the other day, what's his name…"

"K'nir!" Shira said with a huff. "And who cares if I'm keeping my options open? I don't want to get too attached to one rider before Myorth rises."

A'den snorted.

"What about you?" Shira asked. "You haven't shown interest in _any_ riders. Don't you want to give Printeth something to go by?"

"I don't really care that much," A'den said, feeling heat rush to his face.

Shira grinned at him. "I bet you do. There are plenty of handsome riders around here! Personally, I'm glad I'm at Benden, the riders at the other Weyrs just aren't as good-looking for some reason."

"That's just it!" A'den said with more force than he meant to. "All the riders of male dragons are, well… male. I don't… I've never…"

Shira giggled, and A'den told her to shove _between._

"Oh, A'den, it's not that bad. Every green rider does it, and most of them are still male. Everyone expects it."

A'den scowled. "That doesn't make it any better for me. I've never even been with a woman, let alone…" he trailed off. "Anyway, at this point, I don't care who it is. It's embarrassing enough without trying to pick someone out beforehand."

Shira's reply was cut off as a shadow fell over their table. A'den looked up to see a rider he couldn't remember seeing before.

"J'mes, blue Dolinth's rider," he said by way of greeting. "Are you A'den?"

A'den nodded and started to stand.

"Good. When you finish your breakfast, please come to the lake. My wingleader has an errand for you."

J'mes gave a little nod to each of them before turning and walking away.

Shira turned to A'den. "_He's _handsome enough. And he rides a blue!"

"Don't you go turning match-maker on me, Shira!" A'den hissed.

Shira laughed and waved a hand at him. "You'd better finish your breakfast fast! Don't want to keep a wingleader waiting. You never know, he might ask you to join his wing! Lucky…" she ended on a sigh.

A'den gulped down the last of his klah and strode out to where Printeth waited on the ledge.

_I remember Dolinth,_ Printeth said as he climbed onto her neck.

"Do you, now? When did you meet him?" A'den asked.

_At the feeding grounds a few days ago. He let me have the large buck he'd singled out._ She sounded satisfied.

A'den laughed. "Well, that was certainly polite of him, wasn't it?"

They glided down to the lake and landed near the older rider who was standing by the shore, looking over some Records. A'den dismounted, giving a scratch to Printeth, and approached the bronze rider.

"A'den, green Printeth's rider. Blue rider J'mes told me to come?" A'den said politely.

The bronze rider smiled at him. "Yes. I'm T'fir, Girlath's rider. I've got a question for the Masterherder." He waved the Records slightly in emphasis. "I was told you come from that crafthall."

"Yes, I do, wingleader." A'den replied.

T'fir nodded. "Then, I would like you to convey the Masterherder here and take him to the Headwoman. Some of our herdbeasts seem to have taken ill recently, but there's nothing in our Records that mentions the symptoms. We're worried about it."

A'den gave a little bow and a salute. "You can count on me, wingleader!"

The bronze rider nodded again in recognition and dismissed him.

A'den turned and walked over to where Printeth was waiting, a smile on his face. The smile faded once he saw who was heading towards them.

_It is the girl who makes strange sounds, _Printeth said, sounding angry. A'den barely managed to keep from clenching his fists.

Liona didn't even look at him. She never did unless she had to, preferring to speak towards Printeth, as if the green dragon could hear her and respond.

"Please inform rider A'den that he is to help out with kitchen duty tonight, and so he should not waste time playing around on his errand," she said, stressing the last word as though it had no importance.

"I know I'm on kitchen duty, Liora. I'm not going to play around on a job that a wingleader gave me." A'den was impressed with his own self-control.

Liora sniffed. "I just wanted to make sure that your duties were understood. Wouldn't want anything to be _neglected, _would we?" She marched swiftly away before A'den could say anything in reply.

He hated how Liora treated him, acting as though he had stolen Printeth from her that day. More bothersome, however, was how much the girl annoyed Printeth. Liora kept as close to the green's weyr as possible, even going so far as to wake up in the early hours of the morning to be at Printeth's side before A'den was even awake. At every turn she insinuated that A'den was neglecting Printeth, though everyone knew it to be false.

_She makes you angry,_ said Printeth.

"She makes _you_ angry, too. She should leave you alone, love," A'den said, stroking her neck to soothe her. He shook his head, trying to make the rest of his anger go away. "It's not important now, though. We've got to get to the Beastcrafthall."

He stepped on Printeth's offered foreleg and settled himself on her neck as he spoke.

_Yes, I want to make sure the herdbeasts are healthy. I wouldn't want a sick one in my belly._

A'den laughed as they took off and he gave her the coordinates. Hopefully his job on this errand, despite its being rather small, would earn him a place in a fighting wing.


	2. The Lower Caverns

Here's chapter 2. Again, let me know what you think!

**Chapter 2 – The Lower Caverns**

The Lower Caverns were always crawling with activity, regardless of the time of day. The few hours before a mealtime saw a slight increase in the hubbub, but all in all it wasn't too noticeable. Every Weyrling had plenty of experience down in the Lower Caverns, helping to prepare food, cleaning, organizing, or serving the higher-ranked riders their meals.

A'den had had a turn at nearly every job in his three Turns at the weyr, but tonight was a little different. He'd been all set to peel some tubers or stir a pot, but instead he found himself sitting in a circle of young children, playing games and keeping them entertained and out from underfoot. Not that he minded. He'd always been good with children, taking care of his young sisters back at the crafthall. He knew almost all of these youngsters, too, having let some of them help wash Printeth from time to time.

He'd been unfamiliar with the particular game the children had wanted to play, and he obligingly allowed them to shout direction at him until he got it. They were in the middle of their game, and it was his turn to be chased around the circle by one of the more boisterous ones. He ran slowly, looking over his shoulder with an overly scared face, intending to let the boy catch him, when he ran into someone.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going!" A'den apologized laughingly. He backed up a couple of steps and saw that it was J'mes. He felt himself blush as he remembered what Shira had said about the blue rider being handsome. He had to admit, it was true.

"That's all right. What game are you playing?" J'mes said with a smile at the children.

"Would you like to join us, blue rider?" A'den heard himself ask after the children had spoken.

J'mes seemed to think for a second, but A'den realized that it was the exaggerated thinking that he himself used when dealing with youngsters.

"Well, I guess I could… I don't have to be anywhere until after dinner, anyway."

A'den motioned to the children to make room for the blue rider, and the game continued for a while longer. Eventually, the children lost interest and began to ask about their favorite subject, dragons.

"Can we go play with Printeth, A'den? Does she need a bath?" asked one of the girls, her eyes wide with hope.

J'mes gave A'den a sidelong look and answered for him. "I don't know about Printeth, but Dolinth could certainly use one! I could call him down to the lake for you."

The children rushed outside gleefully, and the two riders followed.

"Thanks for letting them play with Dolinth. I usually let them help out with Printeth if they're nearby," A'den said shyly.

J'mes grinned. "Don't worry about it. Like I said, Dolinth needs a bath! Plus, I've heard Liora's complaints often enough to guess that it might make you a bit upset to hear someone suggest that your dragon hasn't been properly cared for." He added the last bit in a lower voice.

A'den bit back a gasp of anger. "I wish she'd leave Printeth alone."

J'mes looked startled. "She's been bothering your dragon?"

A'den nodded. "I can't keep her away from our weyr. I sent Printeth down to the lake once, and when I got there, Liora had already pounced on her and was practically scrubbing her hide off."

Dolinth stopped J'mes' response when he opened his wings, showering the children and the two riders with water. The children shrieked and laughed, and J'mes scolded his dragon.

_May I join you?_ A'den heard Printeth ask Dolinth. He assumed the blue had agreed when he saw her settle herself in the water.

"Despite what Liora says, Printeth looks well," J'mes said. He was stripping down to his clout, clearly intending to wade into the lake to bathe his dragon. A'den looked away.

"Thank you, blue rider," he said.

J'mes smiled at him. "Join me? Dolinth likes to have a lot of people help wash him." He smiled affectionately at his dragon.

A'den waited until the other rider was well into the water, and then he rolled his wher-hide pants up above the knee. The water was cold, and he shivered as he waded into the lake.

_The water is just the right temperature, though I hear the water in the Southern Continent is much warmer, _Printeth said, snaking her neck towards him. A'den laughed.

"Would you rather we were posted in Southern?" he teased, rubbing her muzzle.

_I am happy wherever you are happy,_ she said.

"I was down at Southern once," J'mes said, moving a fistful of sweetsand along Dolinth's ridges. "It was nice."

"You got to go to Southern?" A'den sighed. "How did you manage that?"

"They were actually going to post me there, but then they changed their minds at the last minute. I was there two days before I was yanked back up to the harsh North!" J'mes said so woefully that A'den couldn't help laughing. J'mes grinned and flicked water at him.

"Hey! Cut that out! It was bad enough when Dolinth drenched me!"

"You should have taken your shirt off, then!"

"I haven't got any clean ones left," A'den lied. "They're all down in the Lower Caverns."

J'mes laughed. "I'll let you borrow one of mine, then. Though, they'll probably be a bit big on you."

A'den shook his head quickly. "That's all right, blue rider. I'll just keep this one dry."

"Shells, stop calling me that. I only let higher-ups do that," J'mes said with a roll of his eyes.

When A'den realized that it was getting close to dinner time, he called for the children to get out and change clothes. Dolinth and Printeth were practically sparkling by then, and they rose up to their ledges for a nap while their riders had their meal.

They ran into Shira when they entered the main Cavern. She spared enough time to give A'den a look before launching into her greeting.

"Well, hello! I was looking for you, A'den. It's nice to see you again, J'mes. Would you like to join us for dinner? We usually sit over there," she said, gesturing towards their usual space.

J'mes thanked her and agreed. They passed by the kitchen to pick up their plates and headed for the tables.

"I hear you're a rider in T'fir's wing, J'mes," Shira said once they'd seated themselves.

J'mes nodded, swallowing his mouthful of stew. "Yes, I've been with him for two Turns now."

"Oh, it must be wonderful to be with a wingleader so long! You must know him so well," Shira said, batting her eyelashes just enough to be disgusting. She was such a flirt, A'den thought, feeling slightly grumpy at her monopolizing their new friend. Was there a blue or brown rider she _wouldn't_ flirt with?

As Shira was asking where the blue rider came from, a tall woman strode forcefully over to their table.

"_There_ you are, J'mes! I was looking for you. I finally had Sirieth ask where you were!" she said. "I know I told you to tell me when you were back."

J'mes looked somewhat unamused. "Marlia, sometimes I enjoy spending time with other riders, you know."

"And you neglect your poor weyrmate!" the woman, Marlia, cried dramatically. She was smiling, though. "Who are these people?"

Shira held her hand out. "I'm Shira, green Myorth's rider, and this is A'den, green Printeth's rider."

Marlia was changed in a instant. Her eyes narrowed and her cheeks flushed and she shouted. "Green riders?! How dare you! J'mes is _my_ weyrmate! Stay away from him, your greens can't have Dolinth!"

J'mes jumped to his feet and pulled Marlia to him. "Marlia! We were just talking! I don't even know when their greens are due to rise!"

Marlia still looked angry, but when J'mes held her shoulders and gave her a small shake, she calmed down.

"Now, apologize to these two. We weren't even speaking of mating flights at all," J'mes said in a more soothing tone.

A'den felt a wave of relief wash over him. J'mes was already in a relationship, so he didn't have to worry about Dolinth trying to fly Printeth, whenever she rose. He'd started to wonder if the blue rider was trying to make himself available to him. But now, he could relax around J'mes.

Marlia, having been invited to do so by Shira after her apology, sat gingerly next the J'mes and started picking bites off of his plate.

"Dolinth has flown Sirieth twice now," Marlia chatted easily, as though she hadn't just exploded at the two of them. "I've been trying to convince J'mes to let me share his weyr, but he's so stubborn!"

"I like having my own space," J'mes mumbled.

"I hope my weyrmate, whoever he turns out to be, lets me stay with him," Shira said, her eyes following T'thir as the brown rider crossed the Cavern. She sighed wistfully. A'den rolled his eyes at J'mes, who nearly choked from laughing.


	3. Threadscore

And now chapter 3. This is all I have written at the moment, so you'll have to let me know if this is good enough to continue!

**Chapter 3 - Threadscore**

Two days later, Thread fell over Benden Hold. A'den waited with the women and the Weyrlings with a jar of numbweed and other healing materials. It was early in the Fall yet, and few dragons had returned with injuries. A'den knew, though, that the moment he laid his materials down and went to find something to occupy himself, a dragon with serious injuries to be tended would return and he'd be busy.

Shira waved at him as she passed him on her way to the kitchen. She wasn't any good with wounds, so she helped the women cook a large meal for the returning riders. The kitchen was almost as busy during Threadfall as the healers were.

A'den was finishing up with a blue who had a minor score on his foreleg when the distressed bugle of a brown dragon filled the air. A'den rushed to meet the dragon at his landing site, struggling to take the lid off his jar of numbweed as he ran.

As he approached, he could clearly see that the rider had been badly scored and was slumped over his brown's neck. The rider was still conscious, and he moaned in pain as A'den and some others eased him from his dragon's back. The score was mostly on his back, and so he was quite recognizable when he turned his head to face A'den.

"T'thir!" A'den cried.

"Don't let Rinalth…!" T'thir grunted out, his fear of losing his dragon greater than the pain of the Threadscore.

A'den turned to the big brown's head and immediately took in the whirling eyes and frightened shuffling. The dragon was scared.

"Rinalth, stay! T'thir will be fine!" A'den shouted, trying to catch hold of Rinalth's fighting straps as the dragon swung his head from side to side.

_Printeth! _A'den called desperately to his green. _Tell him to calm down!_

The brown's eyes slowed, though they continued spinning and flashing. He turned his head towards the cot where his rider laid, a sad croon coming from his throat.

A'den stroked the soft hide, letting the dragon know he was there, and removed the fighting straps. He found a small score on his back, which he quickly attacked with numbweed and healing salve. Once the dragon was attended to and calm enough to be left alone, he moved to help those working on T'thir.

The brown rider was lying on his stomach, his moaning quieted with a thick layer of numbweed coating his back. As more wounded dragons and riders appeared in the air above the weyr, healers moved away from T'thir until only A'den and a younger girl remained.

"I can't believe I was so stupid. I've done better at drills as a Weyrling!" T'thir chastised himself as A'den worked.

"What happened?"

T'thir snorted. "Went after a clump, but forgot to look up before we moved. You see how it caught me."

A'den smiled sympathetically. "If it's any consolation, you seem to have protected Rinalth. He only got a little score right behind where you were."

T'thir sighed with a slight smile. "Good. I'd hate myself if I'd gotten him hurt. Especially since Myorth is so close to rising!"

A'den glanced up at him, pausing in laying bandages along the scores. "You want Rinalth the fly Myorth?" he asked.

"Yes! I like Shira," T'thir said, not sounding shy about this confession at all. "I'd like to have her as a weyrmate."

A'den smiled. "I'm sure she'd like that, as well."

"I hope she waits a few days, now. I'd hate to be laid up in bed when all the fun begins!"

"These are long, but they're pretty shallow," A'den said. "I'm sure you'll be up and about in a couple of days."

"Good!"

A'den bit his lip. "I suppose I should warn you, though, you'll have some competition."

T'thir laughed, grimacing a bit when the motion pulled at the bandages. "I know that. I've seen her acting toward other riders the same way she's acted toward me. It doesn't bother me." He waved a hand to indicate a shrug. "Most green riders like to spread their attentions around. What about you? Printeth is of the same clutch as Myorth."

A'den turned his head away as he felt his face heat up. Why did J'mes come to mind at this question? "I'm not… I don't care that much who it is."

T'thir looked curious, but didn't say anything in reply.

A'den finished attaching the bandages and then called another woman to help him carry T'thir back to his weyr. He left the brown rider with wishes of quick health and returned to the Lower Caverns.

_I wouldn't mind if you cared for a rider, _Printeth said calmly.

A'den smiled as he trotted down the stairs. _I know you wouldn't, love. It just makes me uncomfortable to think of it._

_ I want you to enjoy yourself when I rise, too._

_ Don't worry about it, love._ A'den thought soothingly. He hoped that T'thir's interest in Shira would keep him from letting Rinalth fly Printeth. But if Myorth rose first, and he was disappointed in that venture… A'den shuddered. It wasn't that he didn't like the brown rider, but he couldn't bear to think of doing _that_ with him.

_But what about Dolinth's rider?_ Printeth asked in something like a teasing tone of voice.

A'den gasped. _He's a friend! Plus, he's with Marlia._

_ They say that things are different when dragons rise to mate._

A'den didn't answer her. He was too surprised at her saying such things. Printeth didn't say anything else to him until he reached the Lower Caverns.

_Dolinth returns! He says his rider has a score!_

A'den looked up and saw the blue dragon winging down into the Bowl. He walked swiftly over to the pair, picking up a new roll of bandages on the way, having used the last of his on T'thir. When he was near enough to make out J'mes's face, he slowed, looking around for Marlia. Surely she would want to tend to her own weyrmate? He couldn't find the pretty green rider anywhere, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be angry with him if she thought he was trying to move in on her mate.

J'mes slid down from Dolinth's neck and called out. "A'den! Is that numbweed? My shoulder… it hurts."

A'den swung his eyes around the Cavern once more before giving up and stepping over to J'mes. "I was looking for Marlia."

J'mes waved his uninjured arm in dismissal. "If she wanted to tend to me herself, she would have been here by now. My shoulder hurts," he added the reminder with a grin.

A'den scowled at him. "If you're smiling like that, it can't hurt that badly. What about your poor dragon?"

"Oh, Dolinth's fine. I was the wherry-headed idiot who couldn't dodge Thread!"

"I'll say you were wherry-headed. Come over here, then, and we'll get you cleaned up."

J'mes complied and began removing his flying gear. A'den helped with his injured shoulder. The score was not bad, but it did look like it hurt. It mostly fell along the top and back of the shoulder. A'den slathered some numbweed along his back.

"Oh, numbweed! I'll never complain about its foul odor again!" J'mes said happily.

A'den laughed. "Every rider says that when it stops scores from hurting, and yet every time we make it, you all manage to find errands that are conveniently far away from the weyr!"

"I can't help it if my wingleader tells me to leave," J'mes said.

_I don't like the smell of numbweed, and neither do you,_ said Printeth. A'den laughed at her whiny tone.

J'mes quirked an eyebrow at the outburst, so A'den repeated her complaint.

"Dolinth says the smell gets into the herdbeasts and makes them taste bad, too," J'mes said.

"It certainly ruins all of our food," A'den agreed as he moved around to work on the small loop of score on the front of J'mes's shoulder. Glancing up as he rubbed the healing salve over the wound, he saw a strange expression on his patient's face.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?" he asked worriedly.

J'mes shook his head. "No, no. You have… a rather soothing Healer's hand." J'mes tilted his head slightly, and the expression changed with the addition of a slow smile.

A'den smirked. He wouldn't let the blue rider tease him. "I worked with lots of herdbeasts at the Beastcrafthall, so I'm used to healing those that can't take care of their own hides."

J'mes nearly pouted. "I'm no herdbeast," he said plaintively.

A'den reached for the roll of bandage as he tried to hide his grin. He was so much more at ease with the blue rider lately. It was nice to have a male friend who he didn't have to worry about. He began wrapping bandage around J'mes's shoulder. As he finished securing the last strip, J'mes grabbed his hand and held it against his chest.

"Thank you, O my Healer! For it is only due to your gentle ministrations that my heart beats on!" he cried melodramatically.

"The score wasn't _that _bad!" A'den tried to snatch his hand back, but J'mes only curled his fingers more tightly around it. "All right, you're grateful! Let me go!" he said, trying to turn to collect his things.

J'mes laughed and pulled him closer. "I'm only trying to thank you properly for a job well done"

"And you've done that. You're going to get numbweed and salve all over you if you don't let go," A'den said. His hand was still coated in both materials.

"Then I'll feel even less pain and be even healthier!"

"Maybe you need to spend more time _between_."

"But then I'd need someone to warm me up afterwards!"

"That's what Marlia's for, isn't she?" A'den smiled and pulled his hand away as J'mes's grip loosened. He gathered his materials together. "Anyway, you get up to your weyr and try not to move your shoulder too much. You've got to let the salve set. You should probably have someone change the bandage in a few hours."

J'mes saluted lazily. "Yes, Healer."

"Unfortunately, you aren't the only rider who doesn't know how to duck Thread," A'den said, pointing as more dragons appeared over the weyr. "Some riders are even more wherry-headed than you are! They need my 'gentle ministrations', as you put it."

"I'll try to catch you at dinner, then," J'mes replied as A'den strode out to the main Bowl.

~0~

J'mes shook his head as the green rider left. Maybe he wasn't being obvious enough with his attentions, but A'den didn't seem to understand what he was going for.

He was intrigued by the smaller rider. His personality was such an interesting mix of quiet politeness and a good sense of humor. Not to mention, of course, that he was rather attractive. Since he'd met him, seen him sitting at that table with only the other green rider as company, he knew he'd had to get to know him. His smile was not big and toothy, like some riders', confident with their privileges as dragonriders, but shy and quiet, just like the rest of him. J'mes just couldn't figure out why he couldn't get A'den to realize that he was interested in him.

_He thinks that you are happy as Marlia's weyrmate,_ Dolinth said as J'mes climbed gingerly back onto his neck.

"And just how do you know what he thinks, you eavesdropper?"

_Printeth told me,_ came the smug reply.

J'mes laughed. "So, you've been speaking to Printeth without letting me know? You really are interested in her."

_She is as you describe her rider._

"Like rider, like dragon, huh? You getting tired of Sirieth?"

_No more than you are of Marlia._

J'mes grinned fiercely as they rose to their weyr ledge. He was upset to be taken out of the fight so early in the Fall, but it was worth it to have his shoulder patched up by the young green rider who had caught his attention. It was even more exciting to know that his dragon was interested in flying Printeth. He only hoped she rose soon. He didn't think he could stand one more flight with Marlia.


End file.
